Game board



Nbv. l6 1926.

c. w. BURGER GAME BOARD Filed Jan. 23,1926

Patent-ed Nov, 16, 19295 hairs stares reasze CLARENCE VJ. BURGER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBEA.

GAME BOARD.

Application filed January 23, 1926. Serial No. 83,244.

This invention relates to game boards, and

more esp-cc". 1y to that type having pockets to receive balls propelled over the surface.

The ob ect of the invention is toprovide a board of this character which shall be simple With this general object in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrange ment and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a plan View of my improved game board complete; and

Figure 2 is a transverse section substantially on the line 22 of Figure l.

Referring to the drawings in detail, my improved game board comprises a rectangular slab or bottom 1, provided with an upstanding marginalrim 2, extending entirely around the same and serving to confine the ball. Rubber or like feet 3 are preferably provided on the under side of the board to lirmly support the same and prevent slipping.

At each end of the board adjacent the mid dle thereof is provided a ball receiving pocket. This is made up partly by a slight depression a formed in the slab or bottom 1, and partly by a pair of upstanding'plates or the like 5, preferably of the same height as the rim 2. A bar 6 formed of a short piece of wire or the like, preferably extends between the plates both to aid in holding them together andalso to serve as a guard to prevent the ball from bouncing out of the pocket. The plates or side walls 5 may be made either of wood or sheet metal, and preferably have their forward ends slightly beveled or inclined, as indicated at The ball is propelled over the surface of the board by means of four pivoted bats arranged at the positions designated by the letters a. b, c and (Z respectively, near each corner of the board. Each bat comprises a ball engaging portion 7, which is preferably of square'cross section, and a handle po tion 8, which may be round or of any other convenient shape. The bat extends through a slot 10 in the side rim 2 and is pivoted on a pin 9, embedded in such rim. The arrangement is such that the handle portion 8 extends outside of the game board and the ball engaging portion 7 is of such length as to extend from the rim substantially to the adjacent plate or side wall 5 of the cor-- responding pocket. A helical spring 11 secured to the bat and to the end portion of the rim 2 serves to normally maintain the bat in the position shown in full lines at a, in which position the bat extends dia 'onally across the corner of the board, with its end resting against the end rim.

By pulling on the projecting end of the handle portion 8, the bat may be swung from the position shown in full lines to that indicated in dotted lines at (0, thus sweeping over the surface of the adjacent portion of the board. In practice, in order to indicate and define the sweep of the bat l provide on the surface of the board a heavy line or mark 13. The area over which the bat sweeps is, of course, of the shape of a sector.

I also provide the board with a conspicuous transverse line 14, indicating the center thereof, and dividing the surface into two equal halves. Preferably, the main surface of the bottom of the board is painted green, and the surface of the sector shaped portions is painted some contrasting color, such, for example, as yellow or brown.

The game is played by means of a hard relatively heavy ball 12, which may be of any suitable material, but I have found that a small glass alley is well adapted for the purpose. If this ball-is placed against one of the bats, as shown at a, and the bat is then swung to dotted line position, the

,ball will be projected across the board, as

indicated by the broken line 00. It will be noted, however, that the inclination 5 of the outside of the adjacent wall 5 is such that if the ball is shot from the position indicated, it will take a direction which will carry it to one side of the opposite goal or pocket 4:. In other words, the parts are so designed that it is not possible to shoot the ball into the pocket, starting from the position shown at a, which position is the natural one for the ball to assume. In order to drive the ball into the pocket, at the opposite end of the board, it is necessary for the bat to be in some such position as indicated in dotted lines at 0, when it engages the ball. If, when the player at a shoots the ball along the line at, the player at c swings his bat in such a manner as to Strike h al a blow when it reaches the are position indicated by dotted lines, the ball will then be projected along the line y into the pocket l adjacent the hat a.

It will thus be seen that it is relatively diflicult to swing the bats in such a manner as to so strike the ball as to drive it into the pocket at the other end of the board,-

- sons, one at each end 'ofthe board, and each player operates a bat with each hand. The object of each player is, of course, to drive the ball into the pocket at the opposite end of the board as often as possible, and to make it difficult for his opponent to do so. The ball travels rapidly back and forth over the surface of the board and eventually enters a pocket. This counts as ascore for the player at the opposite end of the board from the pocket. As many points as de sired may be considered a game.

Should the ball come to rest within any of the sector shaped spaces over which the bats travel, the player at that end of the board is required to strike it with his bat without touching it with his hands. Should, however, the ball come to rest at any point in either half of the main portion of the board, the player at the corresponding end of the board is entitled to make a place hit, that is, to place the ball at any desired point within the scope of the loat, before striking it.

By slightly inclining the board, so that the ball will run in one direction by gravity, a solitaire game may be played.

hat I claim is 1. A rectangular game board having an upstanding rim, and provided with a ball receiving pocket at eachend, a bat pivotally mounted near each end the side of the board and arranged to sweep over that portion of the board adjacent thereto, the ball engaging portion of the bat being of such length as to extend from the side rim substantially to said ball receiving pocket.

2. A rectangular game board having an upstanding rim, and provided with a ball receiving pocket at each end, a bat pivotally mounted near each end at the side of the board and extending through said rim, said bat comprising a handle portion projecting outside of said board, and a ball engaging portion extending from the rim substantially to said ball receiving pocket and arranged to sweep over the adjacent portion of the board. i

3,. A rectangular game board having an upstanding rim, and provided with a ball receiving pocket at the middle of each end, a bat pivotally mounted near each end of the board adjacent a corner and at each side of the ball receiving pocket, the ball engaging portion of each bat being of such length as to extend from the side rim substantially to said ball receiving pocket and arranged to sweep overthe adj acent surface of the board.

4. A game board having an upstanding rim to confine a ball, a bat pivotally mounted to sweep over the surface of said board, and a spring for normally retaining said bat, in its retracted position against and at an angle to said rim.

5. A rectangular game board having a marginal upstanding rim to confine a ball, a bat pivotally mounted to sweep over the surface of said board, and spring means for normally maintaining said bat in a position extending diagonally across a corner of the board at an angle to both adjacent poi--- tions of the rim. 7

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CLARENCE W. BURGER. 

